Uktar 4, 1372 DR (5:45 PM) Deep Wastes: Lake of Shadows

Veracity flies up, calling Brianna's name. When she arrives at the
scene of carnage, she looks at her grievously wounded companions and
then at the immense dire bears. "What happened here?" she cries,
going pale.

Hazen comes flying up behind Veracity. "You guys missed an awful
battle..." Only then does he seem to notice the scene. His jaw falls
open as he looks at Yol and Brianna. "Whoa! you guys
look terrible!"

"The giants had some pets," says Tebryn. "Did you get them?"

"We were getting them, and then the kraken came up and attacked us!"
says Hazen. "I booked it. Veracity and Igor got away and..." he
looks around. "Where's Kress?"

Kress comes flying up. "I got away too. I was on my last legs!"

"Kress, you idiot! Got a little over confident again, didn't you?"
says the gray dwarf to his henchman. Kress cuffs him but doesn't deny
the charge.

"Anyway, just as I was saying," continues Hazen, "that kraken
was what we should have worried about. But no, only Hazen was focused
enough to think about it, and look what happens."

Veracity rolls her eyes and turns away as the rogue continues to rant.

"I was afraid the kraken was still lurking, and I didn't dare make a
disturbance. I need curing before I'll chance facing it again."

"I'll cure you," says Brianna. She sings twice and heals some of his
wounds.

"And me?" says Kress. The bard cures him as well.

"That's it," says Brianna, holding up her hands apologetically. "No
more healing from me today." She looks ruefully at the gashes she
still has on her own body.

Veracity squeezes her hand. "We'll camp for a couple of days. With
all the giants dead, it should be safe enough. Won't be a comfortable
night for you, I imagine, but you're alive, at least!" Brianna nods.

"Ready to get that sack?" says Igor. Veracity nods and the two of
them fly back to the raft. The two invisible fliers hover near the
ceiling and examine the scene. The raft is empty of giants: the
kraken must have eaten the bodies. Igor flies down, scoops up the
sack, and flies up to the roof again. Still no kraken.

"Let's go," says Veracity. She and Igor fly back to the giants' raft.

Inside the sack are six smaller sacks, containing a variety of coinage.

This is easily accomplished. The giants had no further treasure, but
the chuul's lair was more productive. Among the scattered bones, the
searchers find more coinage and a trio of onyx gems. In the corner
lies a nice pair of magical bracers. Half covered by a ruined drowish
magical cloak lies a fancy looking dagger, also of drow make. Lastly,
magical detection reveals a nondescript but finely made wooden box,
about a foot long in one dimension and half that in the other two
dimensions.

The party assembles up in the giants' living quarters.

Veracity looks from one to another of her companions. "We're out of
cures for the day, and Kress, Brianna, and Yol are all seriously
hurt. I think we should spend tomorrow camping here. We can cure up,
identify all the magical loot we've found since we left Szith Morcane,
and plan for what comes next. Visit that kuo-toan temple? Skip it
and just cross the lake? What about that kraken, anyway?"

"Yeah!" says Hazen. "Focus, Veracity! What about that kraken?"

Veracity smiles. "Fine. We will talk about it. Tomorrow."

"Let's divide up the cash we've collected," suggests Igor. "There was
quite a bit in that sack, and the rest from our other foes adds up
nicely, too."

Brianna smiles. "It could have been. But, do you remember what he
said? 'Bravo! This deserves a reward!' And then he handed me a nice
jingly little sack."

Veracity looks at Kress. She surreptitiously wiggles her
fingers. "Kress, I'd suggest that you're thinking about it the
wrong way and should see Randal Morn's reward as a present for
Brianna."

Kress's eyes glaze briefly. He nods vigorously. "You are so right,
Veracity." He turns to Brianna. "That bag was Randal Morn's present to
you. I also thought your performance was outstanding."

Hazen stares at Kress and then at Veracity. His brow furrows briefly,
but then he shrugs and smiles. "If that's what the big guy thinks,
it's good enough for me!"

"Wait a minute," says Igor. "I think it was intended for the party.
We went back to town because we all believed they would reward us for
our efforts in stopping the drow raids. As beautiful as the song was,
I doubt he would have rewarded the performance while ignoring the
deeds that the song was written about. And, of course the reward was
handed to Brianna: she had done most of the talking for the party."

"Oh, Igor," says Brianna. "Maybe, maybe not. Whichever, I am happy to
share it. My reward will be knowing that my ballad will be sung
throughout the Dalelands." She nods to Veracity, who extracts a small
sack from her backpack.

"No, Brianna," says Kress. "That is yours, and yours alone."

Brianna raises her hand. "Kress, I insist. I really don't want my own
party to think I'm taking something for myself that belongs to all."
She takes the sack from Veracity and hands it to Igor.

Igor hefts it and opens it. Pouring a collection of coins and gems into
his hand, he looks over the reward and counts it. "Not bad. A cool one
thousand gold coins in value. Good performance, Brianna." He tosses
the treasure into the pile of other coinage. When divided seven ways,
each adventurer gets a full 918 gold pieces worth of coins and gems.